CM Punk Claims AEW Isn’t A Real Business
CM Punk has finally lifted the lid on his ill-fated spell in AEW and noted that despite being a pro wrestler and AEW being a pro wrestling company, the reality is the two parties are in very different businesses.
CM Punk was fired by AEW after his altercation with Jack Perry at All In. CM Punk admitted he “choked someone a little bit” in relation to the issue. That wasn’t Punk’s first physicality backstage in the company after becoming embroiled in a bitter fight with The Elite after All Out in 2022.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, CM Punk revealed he asked to leave AEW after the All Out brawl in 2022 and was told he was wanted to be the cornerstone of the new Collision show and that was where his issue with Jack Perry first arose:
These guys don’t want me here. This isn’t a real business, this isn’t a business predicated on making money, drawing money, selling tickets, you know. It’s not what it was sold to me as, so let me go. ‘Oh, I can’t let you go, I’m going to do a new show.’
And then the second day we have this show, I’m sitting in catering minding my own business, Tony Schiavone comes and gets me and he’s like, ‘Hey, I really need your help.’ I was like, ‘What?’ And he’s like, ‘Jack is cussing me out, and he’s cussed out Mike Mansury, and cussing out Darryl from production, and he’s cussing out the doctor right now.’
I was immediately like, the dude isn’t supposed to be here. I was told people are getting separated so there’s not problems and you don’t want me involved in this.
CM Punk Doesn’t Think Tony Khan Is A Boss
As far as what AEW is there for if not to draw money or sell tickets, CM Punk suggested it was there simply for the matches:
I don’t know. I think just having good matches, maybe? And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Punk later gave his thoughts on Tony Khan’s way of running the company and said Khan’s niceness is a detriment to AEW and he’s not really a boss:
Man, that’s a loaded question because I don’t want this to be…I don’t like the drama but the truth is the truth, he is not a boss, he’s a nice guy and I think ultimately that is a detriment to the company, but it’s not my company.
CM Punk will be forced to sit on the sidelines at WrestleMania 40 as a torn triceps has caused him to miss out on his first match at the event since he lost to The Undertaker in 2013.